freeztar Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 This article is pretty interesting. The company has found a way to engineer bacteria, and/or other micro-organisms, to process cellulose material into a "crude oil", amongst many other end products.LS9 promises 'renewable petroleum' | Gristmill: The environmental news blog | Grist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougF Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 You are right this is a very interesting article, and I think It's a good plan in the short term but I think the overall plan should be clean energy that cuts all greenhouse-gas emissions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted July 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 I think the overall plan should be clean energy that cuts all greenhouse-gas emissions I agree, but the author makes a good point. As we strive for zero emissions, which is likely to take several decades, we should foster ways to curb current emissions. What I found most interesting about the article is how the engineered organisms are able to create a crude oil that is completely compatible with all modern uses of petroleum. In other words, we could turn plants into plastic! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 .... In other words, we could turn plants into plastic! :hyper: You prompted an olfactory flashback with those words. One of my chisels used to have a transparent yellow Parkesine handle, and the only way I know it was Parkesine is because when I reshaped it for another socket the smell of camphor was quite powerful. It's a nice looking, durable, & pungent plant plastic. ;) ...English inventor (1813—1890) created the earliest form of plastic in 1855. He mixed pyroxylin, a partially nitrated form of cellulose (cellulose is the major component of plant cell walls), with alcohol and camphor. This produced a hard but flexible transparent material, which he called "Parkesine."Plastic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedars Posted July 31, 2007 Report Share Posted July 31, 2007 Interesting article for sure but.... genetically modified microbes. Lots of questions regarding that. How long before they are not genetically modified, but reproducing on their own? And how long before they escape into the environment? It would worry me that these critters could thrive in an environment (such as salt water) and evolve into an algae predator (as an example). It is a process that should be investigated further, but from many viewpoints regarding potential effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted August 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 You prompted an olfactory flashback with those words. :eek2: One of my chisels used to have a transparent yellow Parkesine handle, and the only way I know it was Parkesine is because when I reshaped it for another socket the smell of camphor was quite powerful. It's a nice looking, durable, & pungent plant plastic. :eek: Plastic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Interesting Turt, I had never heard of Parkesine before.I'll have to look into that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeztar Posted August 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Interesting article for sure but.... genetically modified microbes. Lots of questions regarding that. How long before they are not genetically modified, but reproducing on their own? And how long before they escape into the environment? It would worry me that these critters could thrive in an environment (such as salt water) and evolve into an algae predator (as an example). It is a process that should be investigated further, but from many viewpoints regarding potential effects. Indeed. We would hope they would take preventative measures to avoid escapees, but who knows their methods? The article did mention a patent, though, so it would be in the company's best interests to keep it from escaping, where it could be collected and copied by other interested parties. :eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougF Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Originally Posted by Cedars Interesting article for sure but.... genetically modified microbes. Lots of questions regarding that. How long before they are not genetically modified' date=' but reproducing on their own? And how long before they escape into the environment? It would worry me that these critters could thrive in an environment (such as salt water) [b']and evolve into an algae predator [/b](as an example). It is a process that should be investigated further, but from many viewpoints regarding potential effects.[/Quote]this would in fact leave a oil slick wouldn't it? that would be a environmental nightmare. freeztar I agree' date=' but the author makes a good point. As we strive for zero emissions, which is likely to take several decades, we should foster ways to curb current emissions. What I found most interesting about the article is how the engineered organisms are able to create a crude oil that is completely compatible with all modern uses of petroleum. In other words, we could turn plants into plastic![/Quote']Yes I agree with you on this and I think It's a good plan in the short term (several decades) I wondering if they could make this organisms (or ones like them) that would turn plastic into plants this would greatly help the pollution floating in our oceans. TurtleYou prompted an olfactory flashback with those words. One of my chisels used to have a transparent yellow Parkesine handle' date=' and the only way I know it was Parkesine is because when I reshaped it for another socket the smell of camphor was quite powerful. It's a nice looking, durable, & pungent plant plastic.[/Quote'] :eek2: Turtle you are a encyclopedia of knowledge. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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